SG - Allen Iverson
One of the most intriguing and underrepresented storylines going into this season is the long-term fate of Allen Iverson. While at 33 he's hardly got eons left in the NBA, he's still a very effective basketball player and he could do wonders to put some big-spending team over the top this spring. If he winds up staying with the Nuggets all year and is put on the open market next summer, he could be THE most sought-after player for elite-level teams hoping to sign him on the cheap by appealing to a desire to win a title before he retires. It would be in his personal best interest to take it easy in Denver this year because he still has one more contract in him before he retires and if he's healthy, he's going to have his pick of the litter next summer. This season? Unless he's traded, it's not really relevant.
SF - Carmelo Anthony
It will be a real test of Anthony's character to see how he handles a rebuilding project. He's been in the playoffs every year of his NBA career and was a NCAA champion in his only year at Syracuse, so it will be very interesting to see how losing treats his oft-criticized demeanor. He's one of the best players in basketball but he's stuck in a situation that barely suits his game (a testament to how good he is that he's still so dominant). Anthony would be better served playing a slower-paced game with more guys interested in getting him open rather than competing with him for shots. Until that day arrives, however, Anthony will be asked to ply his trade on an increasingly talentless club while management gets their act together and builds a team to suit their superstar's talents, not impede them.
http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=250342&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_nba
